In the Loop: Coasting through proton beam treatments

June 6, 2017

When 4-year-old Sam Davidson first came to Mayo Clinic for proton beam therapy treatments, he was understandably scared. But before long, Sam was happily peddling through the halls on the way to his appointments.

Four-year-old Sam had been diagnosed with a brain tumor back home in Iowa City, Iowa, after enduring weeks of ear infections and painful headaches. And he had just come off a 12-hour surgery to remove the tumor. While the surgery was successful, Sam's oncologist in Iowa City told parents Courtney and Joel Davidson that Sam would need follow-up radiation and chemotherapy treatments to keep the tumor from coming back. The oncologist recommended the Davidsons bring their son to Mayo Clinic to see radiation oncologist Anita Mahajan, M.D.

His parents used a wagon ride to coax Sam out of the car and into another medical facility. But that's as far as he wanted to go. "We pulled Sam in a wagon from the car," Courtney says. "He did not want to leave that wagon for anything. He was very anxious and upset." Read the rest of Sam's story.______________________________________________This story originally appeared on the In the Loop blog.